CHOOSING YOUR DOOR STYLE

Deciding which style cabinets you want can be overwhelming. There are thousands of possible combinations of door styles, but these can be divided into just a few categories. Understanding these categories can help simplify your search. Cabinet doors are made of the frame (including the rails on top and bottom and the stiles on left and right), and the panel in the middle.

There are two ways that the pieces of the frame are joined together: Mitered (where the pieces are cut at a 45 degree angle) and Cope & Stick. Both pictured below.

There are also two categories of panel style: Inset Panels, which are basic flat sheets that give a simple, clean look and are often less expensive than raised panels. A Raised Panel gives a cabinet door a more luxurious appearance and are a more premium product.

MITERED

SPECIALTY

CHOOSING YOUR CABINET STYLE

In addition to the door style you choose, cabinet style makes a difference in the look of your kitchen as well as the price. Understanding the differences in cabinet styles will help you to see what you really want for your kitchen or cabinetry project. Cabinet construction is essentially a box made from two sides, a top, and a bottom. From there, a cabinet either has a face frame (a 1.5" frame on the front of the cabinet) or it does not. Simply put, a cabinet with a frame is called "Framed," and a cabinet without a frame is called "Frameless."

Framed cabinets can also be divided into categories:

Standard or Partial Overlay: ​Doors partially cover face frame​

Full Overlay: ​Doors completely cover face frame​

Inset: Doors are set into the frame and are flush with frame

The style of Framed cabinets is determined by how you position the doors on the face frame. Framed cabinets with a Standard Overlay (doors are partially covering the face frame) is when the face frame is the most visible. A Framed cabinet also gives you the option for Full Overlay (doors fully covers the face frame) or an Inset (the doors are set back inside the face frame) option.